Immature Flowers Research Articles

Assessing Yield, Biomass Production, and Forage Quality of Red Clover (Trifolium pratense L.) in Agroforestry System: One-Year Study in Szarvas, Hungary

This study examines the impact of line spacing (X: 24 m, Y: 9 m, Z: 6.5 m) and orientation to tree lines on the growth, yield, and quality of red clover (Trifolium pratense L.) in a temperate, irrigated agroforestry system (2 ha) in Szarvas, Hungary. Three sampling locations were distinguished between the east and west oriented tree lines: the north (N) side, middle (M) strip, and south (S) side of the tree lines. The highest red clovers were observed in the 6.5 m spacing (mean height 69.3 ± 7.2 cm), although yields were similar across 24 m, 9 m, and 6.5 m spacings (2.9 t ha−1, 2.3 t ha−1, and 2.7 t ha−1 dry matter, respectively). Orientation significantly influenced all forage quality parameters, with the north side showing earlier developmental stages and higher proportions of immature flowers (41–59%). Managing the spatial arrangement of red clover in agroforestry systems can help optimize forage quality by mitigating variations in plant maturity.

Agroprospecting of Biowastes: Globe Artichoke (Cynara scolymus L. Cultivar Tema, Asteraceae) as Potential Source of Bioactive Compounds.

Artichokes (Cynara scolymus L.) are valuable foods, thanks to their health benefits, but they generate significant waste during their production, harvesting, and processing, which poses sustainability issues. This study applied an agroprospecting approach to convert Tema artichoke biowaste (TB) into valuable resources, starting from a global perspective of the production chain to the targeted applications based on chemical and biological analysis. The major TB was identified in the outer bracts of the immature flower heads, which were collected throughout the harvesting season, extracted, and analyzed. The most abundant compounds were phenolic acids including chlorogenic acid and caffeoylquinic derivatives. Among flavonoids, cynaroside was the most abundant compound. Multivariate analysis distinguished batches by collection period, explaining 77.7% of the variance, with most compounds increasing in concentration later in the harvest season. Subsequently, TB extracts were analyzed for their potential in wound healing and anti-aging properties. Fibroblasts were used to assess the effect of selected extracts on cell migration through a scratch wound assay and on cellular senescence induced by etoposide. The results show a significant decrease in senescence-associated β-galactosidase activity, γH2AX nuclear accumulation, and both p53 and p21 protein levels. Overall, this study ascribes relevant anti-skin aging effects to TB, thus increasing its industrial value in cosmeceutical and nutraceutical applications.

Micropropagation via somatic embryogenesis of Iris pallida Lam. ecotypes

Iris pallida LAM., which has characterized the economy of small and medium-sized Tuscan farms for decades, is one of the most typical rustic species of the Mediterranean landscape. I. pallida essence is widely used in the perfumery sector for the indicative smell of violet caused by its high content of irones, ketone compounds accumulated inside the rhizome during their storage phase. One of the main critical aspects of its cultivation is the vegetative propagation method, traditionally carried out by rhizome transplanting, which does not allow obtaining a sufficient number of plants to encourage its cultivation. The state of the art indicates the micropropagation of I. pallida via somatic embryogenesis as the most effective propagation method, using immature flower components as starting tissue; however, there are no studies aimed at comparing the responses of different ecotypes of I. pallida to this technique. In this study, I. pallida clones of HE, VIC and BA ecotypes were obtained via somatic embryogenesis, starting from bud (young and immature) and leaf explants, monitoring all the development steps from callus to plantlets production, and testing clones adaptation to field conditions, using a modified acclimatization protocol. The results highlighted the different responses of the ecotypes to the in vitro protocol and demonstrated the effectiveness of somatic embryogenesis in producing I. pallida plantlets with a chromatographic profile overlapping with the donor plant; this alternative propagation method could allow to produce plantlets without sacrificing sealable rhizome.

Callus formation response from immature male flower explant of plantain banana (Musa acuminata x Musa balbisiana cv. Kepok) treated by 2,4-D and BAP

Callus induction is an important step in indirect somatic embryogenesis. The aim of this study was to obtain an optimal medium for the callus formation of plantain bananas (cv. Kepok). The research was conducted from May to August 2022 at the Tissue Culture Laboratory of PT. ITCI Kartika Utama, Penajam Paser Utara District, East Kalimantan. The explant used an immature male flower of plantain banana (cv. Kepok). The experiment used a completely randomized design with two factors concentration of 2,4-D (1,2 and 4 ppm) and BAP (5, 10, and 15 ppm). The appearance of callus was monitored daily until it developed explants. On the final observation day, the percentage of explants with callus, as well as the color and texture of the callus, were assessed. The research findings suggest that the optimal medium for inducing callus in male banana flower explants was MS medium supplemented with 2 ppm 2,4-D and 5 ppm BAP. This medium resulted in calluses that exhibited a yellowish-white color and a compact texture. Keywords: callus morphology; genetic improvement; plant growth regulator; tissue culture; triploid banana

The Dark Side of the pollen: BSA-seq identified genomic regions linked to male sterility in globe artichoke

Globe artichoke (Cynara cardunculus var. scolymus; 2n = 2x = 34) is a food crop consumed for its immature flower heads. Traditionally, globe artichoke varietal types are vegetatively propagated. However, seed propagation makes it possible to treat the crop as annual, increasing field uniformity and reducing farmers costs, as well as pathogens diffusion. Despite globe artichoke’s significant agricultural value and the critical role of heterosis in the development of superior varieties, the production of hybrids remains challenging without a reliable system for large-scale industrial seed production. Male sterility (MS) presents a promising avenue for overcoming these challenges by simplifying the hybridization process and enabling cost-effective seed production. However, within the Cynara genus, genic male sterility has been linked to three recessive loci in globe artichoke, with no definitive genetic mechanism elucidated to date. A 250 offsprings F2 population, derived from a cross between a MS globe artichoke and a male fertile (MF) cultivated cardoon (C. cardunculus var. altilis) and fitting a monogenic segregation model (3:1), was analyzed through BSA-seq, aiming at the identification of genomic regions/genes affecting male sterility. Four QTL regions were identified on chromosomes 4, 12, and 14. By analyzing the sequence around the highest pick on chromosome 14, a cytochrome P450 (CYP703A2) was identified, carrying a deleterious substitution (R/Q) fixed in the male sterile parent. A single dCAPS marker was developed around this SNP, allowing the discrimination between MS and MF genotypes within the population, suitable for applications in plant breeding programs. A 3D model of the protein was generated by homology modeling, revealing that the mutated amino acid is part of a highly conserved motif crucial for protein folding.

Promising and Failed Breeding Techniques for Overcoming Sterility and Increasing Seed Set in Bananas (Musa spp.)

Most banana improvement programs are restricted to using a sub-set of edible landraces for sexual hybridization as the majority are female sterile. This results from an array of factors that work in tandem and lead to sterility. Use of pollination germination media (PGM) during pollination significantly increases seed set, but it is a very small fraction compared to the potential seed set. This research therefore explored early pollination (a day before anthesis), evening pollination, saline treatment, plant growth regulators (PGRs) treatment, and ovule culture as potential techniques for overcoming sterility in bananas. Early and evening pollinations did not increase seed set because of immature flowers and a mismatch of male and female flower opening, respectively (t-prob. = 0.735 and 0.884). Immersion of bunches in a saline solution before pollination and ovule culture also did not overcome pollination barriers. Auxin antagonists (TIBA and salicylic acid) increased seed set, though their respective increases were not statistically significant (t-prob. = 0.123 and 0.164, respectively). The use of auxin antagonists shows great potential for overcoming pollination barriers in bananas. However, application rates and time of application have to be optimized and used holistically with other promising techniques, such as use of PGM.

Studies on Improving the Efficiency of Somatic Embryogenesis in Grapevine (Vitis vinifera L.) and Optimising Ethyl Methanesulfonate Treatment for Mutation Induction.

Somatic embryogenesis (SE) has many applications in grapevine biotechnology including micropropagation, eradicating viral infections from infected cultivars, mass production of hypocotyl explants for micrografting, as a continuous source for haploid and doubled haploid plants, and for germplasm conservation. It is so far the only pathway for the genetic modification of grapevines through transformation. The single-cell origin of somatic embryos makes them an ideal explant for mutation breeding as the resulting mutants will be chimera-free. In the present research, two combinations of plant growth regulators and different explants from flower buds at two stages of maturity were tested in regard to the efficiency of callusing and embryo formation from the callus produced in three white grape cultivars. Also, the treatment of somatic embryos with the chemical mutagen ethyl methanesulfonate (EMS) was optimised. Medium 2339 supplemented with β-naphthoxyacetic acid (5 μM) and 6-benzylaminopurine (BAP-9.0 μM) produced significantly more calluses than medium 2337 supplemented with 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (4.5 µM) and BAP (8.9 µM) in all explants. The calluses produced on medium 2337 were harder and more granular and produced more SEs. Although the stage of the maturity of floral bud did not have a significant effect on the callusing of the explants, calluses produced from immature floral bud explants in the premeiotic stage produced significantly more SEs than those from more mature floral buds. Overall, immature ovaries and cut floral buds exposing the cut ends of filaments, style, etc., tested for the first time in grapevine SE, produced the highest percentage of embryogenic calluses. It is much more efficient to cut the floral bud and culture than previously reported explants such as anthers, ovaries, stigmas and styles during the short flowering period when the immature flower buds are available. When the somatic embryos of the three cultivars were incubated for one hour with 0.1% EMS, their germination was reduced by 50%; an ideal treatment considered to obtain a high frequency of mutations for screening. Our research findings will facilitate more efficient SE induction in grapevines and inducing mutations for improving individual traits without altering the genetic background of the cultivar.

Stigma receptivity and flower development stage during emasculation in tomato affect artificial hybridization

ABSTRACT Determination of appropriate stages of flower emasculation and flower development when self-pollination occurs in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) flowers is important to increase the degree of success of cross pollination. The experiment was conducted from July 2015 to June 2017. Seven tomato varieties (as female parents) and 1 genotype (as pollen source) were evaluated. Stages of flower emasculation (3 levels) were: 1) emasculation of immature flowers (light yellow petal) (Stage I); 2) emasculation of mature flowers (dark yellow petal, and/or petal not opened) (Stage II); and 3) emasculation of mature flowers (dark yellow petal, and/or petal partially opened) (Stage III). Complete success of cross fertilization was for the interaction of Stage II (dark yellow petal, and/or petal not opened) flower emasculation with pollination of emasculated flower after 24 h. The lowest (1.8%) percent of success of cross fertilization was at stage I (light yellow petal) flower emasculation with pollination of emasculated flower within 12 h. The low range, 1.8–5.3% of success of cross fertilization was at flower stage III (dark yellow petal, and/or petal partially opened) emasculation with no pollination of emasculated flower, indicating occurrence of an accidental self-fertilization. Stage of flower development stage I (light yellow petal) and pollination of emasculated flowers after 48 h could give the optimum percent of success of cross fertilization and avoid accidental self-pollination.

Morphological diversity of pollen grains within the flowering stages of Tecoma stans (L.) Juss. ex Kunth

The study of the morphology of pollen grains is essential to understand plant evolution, adaptation, diversity and discrimination of taxa. This study aims to determine the importance of choosing the perfect stage of flower development in the study of pollen morphological characters as a taxonomical tool. In this work a woody, perennial street tree Tecoma stans was chosen as a model species belonging to family Bignoniaceae. Tecoma stans has many polymorphic forms native to North America and flourished in hot climates. This tree is commonly planted in both Cairo and Alexandria streets. Samples of flower buds in nine different stages were gathered from five to six different trees from March to June 2023. Non-acetolysed pollen grains were investigated using both light and Scanning electron microscopes. The results showed that pollen density, size, shape beside colpi length as well as their state varied between the different developmental flowering stages and cannot be relied on taxonomical decisions, while exine ornamentation slightly differed between the pollen grains from stage two to nine, but it was faint in immature flower bud (stage one). This study confirms that we must be precise in choosing the correct flower stage in pollen morphological studies to obtain significant morphological description. The results obtained revealed that the aperture type is more stable than pollen shape and size.

Influence of varieties of hemp, Cannabis sativa (Rosales: Cannabaceae), and fertilization rates on damage caused by corn earworm, Helicoverpa zea (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae).

Industrial hemp, Cannabis sativa L., production has been negatively impacted by larvae of corn earworm, Helicoverpa zea (Boddie), which feed on developing inflorescences. Adult H. zea oviposit on hemp once flowers develop, and late-instar larvae can cause serious loss to both quality and yield. A 2-year study to assess the influence of hemp variety and fertilization practices on damage caused by H. zea was conducted. Differences in damage ratings among varieties were observed in both years; however, the rate of nitrogen applied did not influence biomass yield or damage rating. These results indicate that increasing nitrogen fertility may not be an effective means of cultural control for mitigating damage from H. zea. Floral maturity was very influential on damage caused by H. zea as late-maturing varieties had much less floral injury than those which matured early in outdoor field trials. Some cannabinoids were also correlated to damage rating, but this relationship was due to late-maturing plants with immature flowers low in cannabinoid concentrations receiving less floral injury. Based on these results, the selection of high-yielding varieties that flower when ovipositional activity of H. zea is expected to decline should be the first step in an integrated pest management program for hemp production. This research expanded our knowledge of the role of fertility rate, varietal characteristics, cannabinoid profile, and floral maturity on damage caused by H. zea to hemp. Findings from this research will allow growers to make more informed agronomic decisions before planting to improve hemp production.

Androgenesis in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.)-Effect of genotypes, microspore development stage, pre-treatments and media composition on induction of haploids

Doubled haploid (DH) technology remarkably accelerates the crop breeding by obtaining homozygous lines in a single generation. The present study was targeted in generating haploid plants through androgenesis. Anthers from immature flower buds of six tomato genotypes viz., LE-1230, LE-1236, LE-1256 TLCV 2, PKM 1 and TNAU tomato hybrid CO 3 were used for induction of haploids. A preliminary study based on callus induction frequency (CIF), more than 5% was helpful in short listing flower bud size, pre-treatments and growth regulator combinations. Subsequently, anthers from two different sized flower buds (4 and 6 mm length), dissected either from fresh or pre-treated flower buds (2 and 5 days in dark at 4 °C or gamma irradiated) were inoculated in MS medium fortified with different growth regulators for callus induction. Among the genotypes, TLCV 2 had recorded the maximum CIF (38.80%) from anthers of 4 mm long flower buds followed by TNAU tomato hybrid CO 3 (34.70%). Throughout the study, anthers from 4 mm long flower buds responded the best for callus induction. Among the pre-treatments, anthers from gamma irradiated flower buds recorded the highest CIF (31.90%) when compared to others. Cold shock (4 °C) in dark to flower buds for 2 days had improved the CIF of anthers when compared to fresh in LE 1230, LE 1238, TLCV2 and TNAU tomato hybrid CO 3, but when the cold shock was increased to 5 days, invariably there was a reduction in CIF in all the six genotypes. TA 8 (MS + 2iP (0.5 mg L-1) + NAA (0.5 mg L-1)) medium was found to be the best for maximum CIF in LE 1230 and PKM1, TA1 (MS + 2iP (1.0 mg L-1) + IAA (2.0 mg L-1)) in LE 1238, LE 1256 and TNAU tomato hybrid CO 3 and TA7 (MS + 2iP (0.5 mg L-1) + Kinetin (1.5 mg L-1) + NAA (1.0 mg L-1)) for TLCV 2 genotypes. The callus induced was sub cultured at monthly intervals in the same medium for proliferation and later transferred to regeneration medium. A good number of shoots got regenerated only from anther calli of TNAU hybrid CO 3 that was sub cultured in MS medium fortified with Zeatin (0.5 mg L-1). The clumps of shoots induced were separated and inoculated in MS medium supplemented with GA3 (0.5 mg L-1) for shoot elongation. After 4-6 weeks, the elongated shoots were transferred to half strength MS medium enhanced with IBA (1 mg L-1). Profuse rooting from the base of the shoot was noticed in 4-5 weeks. The stomatal count with leaves from the diploid plants and in vitro plants observed were 3-4 and 1 respectively indicating the haploidy nature of in vitro plants.

Effects of far-red light and photoperiod during early growth stages on flower bud development of seed-propagated strawberry seedlings

The effects of far-red (FR) light and photoperiod on flower bud development in seed-propagated strawberry (Fragaria ×ananassa) ‘Elan’ and ‘Yotsuboshi’ cultivars seedlings were investigated to determine lighting conditions that would ensure high-quality strawberry plugs in a controlled environment. The strawberry seedlings were grown for 25 days in a growth chamber under LED illumination with or without FR light. Photoperiod was set at 16 h or 24 h After the light treatment, the seedlings were transplanted into the greenhouse to determine the emergence of their flower buds. In ‘Elan’, FR light and longer photoperiod both promoted flower bud development. However, in ‘Yotsuboshi’, the effect of the light treatment was weaker than in ‘Elan’: only FR light plus a longer photoperiod promoted flower bud development. This difference may be due to cultivar differences in the juvenile period. The percentage of seedlings that had developed flower buds at the end of the light treatment was similar to that of seedlings that emerged flower buds after transplanting in most treatment groups. However, in ‘Yotsuboshi’ seedlings transplanted during the relatively high-temperature season, the percentage of seedlings with an emerged bud after transplanting was much smaller than that of seedlings that developed flower buds by the end of the light treatment. This may be because exposure to high temperatures after transplanting suppressed the development of immature flower buds, which in turn suppressed bud emergence.

Evaluating and Validating Sunflower Reference Genes for Q-PCR Studies Under High Temperature Condition.

Q-PCR is the method of choice for PCR- based transcriptomics and validating microarray-based and RNA-seq results. Proper application of this technology requires proper normalization to correct as much as possible errors propagating during RNA extraction and cDNA synthesis. The investigation was performed to find stable reference genes in sunflower under shifting in ambient temperature. Sequences of five well-known reference genes of Arabidopsis (Actin, Ubiquitin, Elongation factor-1, GAPDH, and SAND) and one well-known reference gene inhuman, Importin, were subjected to BLASTX against sunflower databases and the relevant genes were subjected to primer designing for q-PCR. Two sunflower inbred lines were cultivated at two dates so that anthesis occurred at nearly 30 °C and 40 °C (heat stress). The experiment was repeated for two years. Q-PCR was run on samples taken for two planting date separately at the beginning of anthesis for each genotype from leaf, taproots, receptacle base, immature and mature disc flowers and on pooled samples comprising of the tissues for each genotype, planting dates and also all tissues for both genotypes and both planting dates. Basic statistical properties of each candidate gene across all the samples were calculated. Furthermore, gene expression stability analysis was done for six candidate reference genes on Cq mean of two years using three independent algorithms, geNorm, Bestkeeper, and Refinder. Designed primers for Actin2, SAND, GAPDH, Ubiquitin, EF-1a, and Importin yielded a single peak in melting curve analysis indicating specificity of the PCR reaction. Basic statistical analysis showed that Actin2 and EF-1a had the highest and lowest expression levels across all the samples, respectively. Actin2 appeared to be the most stable reference gene across all the samples based on the three used algorithms. Pairwise variation analysis revealed that for samples taken under ambient temperature of 30 °C, Actin2, EF-1a, SAND and for those taken under ambient temperature of 40 °C, Actin2, EF-1a, Importin and SAND have to be used for normalization in q-PCR studies. Moreover, it is suggested that normalization to be based on Actin2, SAND and EF-1a for vegetative tissues and Actin2, EF-1a, SAND and Importin for reproductive tissues. In the present research, proper reference genes for normalization of gene expression studies under heat stress conditions were introduced. Moreover, the presence of genotype-by- planting date interaction effects and tissue specific gene expression pattern on the behavior of the most three stable reference genes was indicated.

A comprehensive and conceptual overview of omics-based approaches for enhancing the resilience of vegetable crops against abiotic stresses.

Abiotic stresses adversely affect the productivity and production of vegetable crops. The increasing number of crop genomes that have been sequenced or re-sequenced provides a set of computationally anticipated abiotic stress-related responsive genes on which further research may be focused. Knowledge of omics approaches and other advanced molecular tools have all been employed to understand the complex biology of these abiotic stresses. A vegetable can be defined as any component of a plant that is eaten for food. These plant parts may be celery stems, spinach leaves, radish roots, potato tubers, garlic bulbs, immature cauliflower flowers, cucumber fruits, and pea seeds. Abiotic stresses, such as deficient or excessive water, high temperature, cold, salinity, oxidative, heavy metals, and osmotic stress, are responsible for the adverse activity in plants and, ultimately major concern for decreasing yield in many vegetable crops. At the morphological level, altered leaf, shoot and root growth, altered life cycle duration and fewer or smaller organs can be observed. Likewise different physiological and biochemical/molecular processes are also affected in response to these abiotic stresses. In order to adapt and survive in a variety of stressful situations, plants have evolved physiological, biochemical, and molecular response mechanisms. A comprehensive understanding of the vegetable's response to different abiotic stresses and the identification of tolerant genotypes are essential to strengthening each vegetable's breeding program. The advances in genomics and next-generation sequencing have enabled the sequencing of many plant genomes over the last twenty years. A combination of modern genomics (MAS, GWAS, genomic selection, transgenic breeding, and gene editing), transcriptomics, and proteomics along with next-generation sequencing provides an array of new powerful approaches to the study of vegetable crops. This review examines the overall impact of major abiotic stresses on vegetables, adaptive mechanisms and functional genomic, transcriptomic, and proteomic processes used by researchers to minimize these challenges. The current status of genomics technologies for developing adaptable vegetable cultivars that will perform better in future climates is also examined.

Practice makes the expert: The importance of training volunteers in the generation of phenological data from photographs of biodiversity observation platforms.

Phenology studies the time at which events in the life cycle of a species occur sand how they are related to environmental cues. Patterns of change in phenology at different scales can be used as an indicator of ecosystem changes and climate change, but the data necessary to detect these changes can be difficult to obtain due to their temporal and regional dimensions. Citizen science can contribute to generate large amounts of data on phenological changes at wide geographical scales that would be almost impossible for professional scientists to generate, but the quality and reliability of these data are often questioned. The objective of this study was to evaluate the use of a biodiversity observation citizen science platform based on photographic information as a potential source of large-scale phenological information, and to identify the key benefits and limitations of this type of information source. We used the Naturalista photographic databases for two invasive species in a tropical region: Leonotis nepetifolia and Nicotiana glauca. The photographs were classified into different phenophases (initial growth, immature flower, mature flower, dry fruit) by three groups of volunteers: a group of experts, a trained group with information on the biology and phenology of both species, and an untrained group. The degree of reliability of the phenological classifications was estimated for each group of volunteers and each phenophase. The degree of reliability of the phenological classification of the untrained group was generally very low for all phenophases. The group of trained volunteers showed accuracy levels for the reproductive phenophases that equaled the degree of reliability among the expert group, regardless of species, and was consistent across phenophases. We conclude that volunteer classification of photographic information contained in biodiversity observation platforms can provide phenological information with high geographic coverage and an increasing temporal coverage on general phenological patterns of species with wide distributions but has limited applicability in the identification of exact start and end dates. and peaks of the different phenophases.

A Proposal for a Processing Line for Cauliflower and Broccoli Floretting

The edible portions of cauliflowers and broccoli are immature flower heads composed of florets attached to the stalk. In most cases, larger florets are separated into smaller pieces during processing. Complex processing lines for cauliflower and broccoli floretting are available on the market, but they are very expensive and require a large working area. Therefore, the aim of this study was to present a proposal for a new floretting unit dedicated to this group of vegetables. The unit will be operated in small farms; it will help producers shorten processing times and sell their goods for higher prices. It was assumed that the unit will feature two main devices: a vegetable crusher and a calibrator. The crusher will remove the florets from the stalk and break larger florets into smaller pieces of appropriate size. Florets with a diameter of 2 to 6 cm will be separated by the calibrator. During the process, leaves, stalks, and very small florets will fall into separate containers, and these fractions will be further processed into food products. The entire process will be carried out directly on the farm, which can increase potential profits by around 25%. Due to a shorter processing time, the product is likely to be fresher and more appealing for consumers.

The Brazilian peppertree biological control agent Pseudophilothrips ichini (Thysanoptera: Phlaeothripidae) displays a flexible feeding strategy between foliage and reproductive tissues

The biological control agent, Pseudophilothrips ichini, is being released for control of Brazilian peppertree, Schinus terebinthifolia (Anacardiaceae), an invasive weed of natural and agricultural areas of California, Florida, Hawaii, and Texas (USA). The thrips larvae and adults feed on flushed leaves and stems that are produced during the vegetative season of the host. However, during the reproductive season from September to December in Florida, few flushing leaves are available as resources are shunted to plant reproduction. As field releases were being implemented, thrips were found feeding and damaging immature fruits and flowers of their host. We hypothesized that the thrips used volatile organic compounds produced by reproductive tissues to locate and feed on these tissues. When examined under laboratory choice tests, individual thrips or groups of either 20 adults or larvae, chose flushing leaves over all reproductive tissues, female flowers, male flowers, and immature fruit. However, to simulate seasons when few flushing leaves were available, additional choice tests were conducted where flushing leaves were omitted, and only reproductive tissues and a filter paper control were included. Individual thrips or groups of either 20 adults or larvae selected all reproductive tissues over controls. When presented with a choice between immature and mature fruit, thrips chose immature fruit. Thrips caused significant damage to live female flowers, male flowers, and immature fruit, and thrips survival rates were similar when fed flush leaves, female flowers, or male flowers. The thrips responses could be tied to VOC production, which significantly varied among tissue types. Volatile blends from flush leaves that include DMNT, Terpinolene, and δ-Elemene may attract P. ichini whereas those that repel them include α-Thujene, α-Pinene, β-Pinene, Camphene, and β-Phellandrene. These results suggest P. ichini has a flexible feeding strategy and exploits Brazilian peppertree reproductive tissues when few flushing tips were available. Further they suggest thrips feeding will have direct impacts on Brazilian peppertree reproduction.

Reproductive phenology and insects pollinators of Thelocactus bicolor (Galeotti ex Pfeiff.) Britton & Rose in three localities of Nuevo León and San Luis Potosí, Mexico

The reproductive phenology of Thelocactusbicolor (Galeotti ex Pfeiff.) Britton & Rose, in addition to monitoring the insects thatinteracted with the flowers of this plant, located in the Botanical Garden Efraím Hernández Xolocotzi located in Linares, NuevoLeón, and in two nurseries for rescued plants located in Guadalcázar, San Luis Potosí, was registered. The study was carried out in2020, selecting and marking ten individuals located in 1 m², to evaluate the presence of their phenological stages (immature flower,intermediate flower, mature flower, immature fruit, ripe fruit, fruit in dispersion) through fortnightly sampling for a year,registering the activity and time in which arthropods interacted with the flowers of this cactus. The cacti began flowering in themonths of January and February at the three study sites. The mature flower stage only appeared in the Guadalcázar localitiestherefore, no insects were captured at the site located in Nuevo León. The Jacard similarity index showed a 50% of similaritybetween the registered arthropods of the Guadalcázar sites

Antibacterial and Anticandidal Activity of Ethanolic Extract of Immature Flower Buds of Syzygium aromaticum

Microbial resistance to antibiotics has been raised over time, creating a serious burden and an issue that requires a quick response. As a result, interest has shifted to medicinal plants as natural, effective, and cost-efficient alternatives. The goal of this study was to assess the antibacterial and antifungal activities of the dried buds of the clove’s flowers, which were extracted in 250 ml of ethanol using the Soxhlet apparatus. Subsequently, DMSO stock solutions were utilized to create concentrations of 100, 50, 25, 12.5, 6.25, and ultimately 3.125 mg/ml. Following that, the agar-well diffusion technique was utilized for the evaluation of the antibacterial activities of the clove extract against gram-positive bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus and Group A Streptococcus bacteria) and gram-negative bacteria (Escherichia coli), as well as Candida albicans, isolated and identified through the pediatric hospital's medical laboratory west of Gaza city. Lastly, the results of this study clearly showed that the ethanolic extract of dried immature flower buds of clove has anti-S. aureus and anti-group A Streptococcus effects, as well as for the C. albicans used in the present study, with the exception of E. coli, which demonstrated resistance to the plant extract at all concentrations tested. While the lowest concentrations that showed anti-bacterial activity were revealed to be 12.5 and 25 mg/ml for anti-S. aureus and anti-group A Streptococcus, respectively, with inhibition zone diameters of 2 and 1 mm, on the other hand, 25 mg/ml with a 2 mm inhibition zone was determined to have the lowest concentration that had anti-C. albicans activity. This study concluded that cloves can be employed as a plant with anti-bacterial and anti-fungal characteristics, but additional research is required.

Heterologous expression of cry1Ia12 insecticidal gene in cotton encodes resistance against pink bollworm, Pectinophora gossypiella (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae); an alternate insecticidal gene for insect pest management.

Cotton is continuously exposed to sucking and chewing insect pest pressure since emergence to harvesting. Pink bollworm (Pectinophora gossypiella) has become major chewing insect pest to reduce the cotton yield and results in bad lint quality even in transgenic crops. The efficiency of insecticidal genes has been compromised due to extensive utilization of transgenic crops. The present study was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of an alternate cry1Ia12 insecticidal gene against pink bollworm (PBW) in cotton. Agrobacterium tumefaciens strain LBA4404 harboring pCAMBIA2300 expression vector containing cry1Ia12 gene under the control of 35S CaMV was used to transform a local cotton cultivar GS-01. The various molecular analyses revealed the transgene integration and expression in primary transformants. Among five selected transgenic plants, tcL-08 showed maximum (16.06-fold) mRNA expression of cry1Ia12 gene whereas tcL-03 showed minimum (2.33-fold) expression. Feeding bioassays of 2nd and 3rd instar pink bollworm (PBW) larvae on immature cotton bolls, flowers and cotton squares revealed up to 33.33% mortality on tcL-08 while lowest mortality (13.33%) was observed in tcL-03 and tcL-15. Furthermore, the average weight and size of survived larvae fed on transgenic plants was significantly lesser than the average weight of larvae survived on non-transgenic plants. The present study suggests the cry1Ia12 gene as an alternate insecticidal gene for the resistance management of cotton bollworms, especially PBW.